Rooftop Tents

Why are Rooftop tents (RTT) popular?

Roof top tents are a popular choice amongst many travellers for a whole host of reasons. Here are just a few:  

1. Convenient Use of Space -  4x4 owners are always struggling for space inside of the car.  The Darche roof top tent takes care of not only your tent, but also your sleeping mattress as well as bedding.  This is very appealing for those with smaller four wheel drives or where you are taking a lot of other specialist gear whilst travelling.  The rooftop tent is also very secure on your roof,  being too heavy to steal easily it is a good option when deciding what to store on your roof.
2. Protection from Crocodiles & other animals -  Many four wheel drivers take their roof top tents up to the Cape.  Crocodiles are a concern for many travellers, and sleeping high off the ground gives great piece of mind.  Allowing you to get a great nights sleep even in the wilderness. For those of you who were not previously concerned about crocodiles.  Please do not be,  we have never heard of anyone being attacked inside their tent. However,  if you are now concerned another good suggestion we've heard is to take a large knife to bed.  If the crocodile attacks your tent from one direction, cut a hole through your tent on the opposite side and run to your car. 
3. Security whilst Free Camping - For similar reasons to above,  those who like to go free camping often like to be near their car to protect it from break ins. By sleeping in a roof top tent it's very difficult for someone to break into your car, or get inside of your tent without you noticing.
4. Pre-Made Bed -  Roof top tents allow you to pack them up with your bedding left in place.  This means you can take your favourite doona, and your special pillow without being worried about it getting dirty or damaged.  The mattresses found in roof top tents are sometimes denser, and more comfortable than some mattresses.  However, there are now extraordinarily comfortable self inflating mattresses available, which beat most roof top tents. 
5. Sleeping off the ground - When camping with a roof top tent,  all you need to worry about is finding a reasonably level camp site.   You do not need to worry about how rocky it is,  or whether you will be able to drive pegs into the ground.  This is particularly handy if you're camping beside the road.
6. Fast Packup & Setup Time - Due to the limited amount of pegging required and the fact that your bedding is already inside the tent, the setup time for the evening is quick. Translated,  this means you've got more time to relax and enjoy the finer things in life! Note:  We also sell fast pitching ground tents check them out today as an alternative option.

 Roof top tents are great, and they're the ideal choice for many campers.  But not all! There are also a few reasons why you might want to consider other fast pitching tents.  Here are some consideration:

• Can be inconvenient at times - When your roof top tent is setup,  you are not able to drive your vehicle anywhere.  This can be frustrating if you want to go on a quick trip and will be staying the night there again.
• Limited in size - Roof top tents are often generous sized beds, but they are not massive.  Generally,  you are only able to kneel in them and the space is entirely bedroom.  There is limited space for bags and other gear.  This is a problem on wet days, or if you're just wanting to spend some time in a private space.
• Vehicle Height - Carpark access - Many roof top tents make four wheel drives that were already borderline too tall to fit in most carparks and your garage now impossible. This isn't a huge problem when you're out bush, on holiday.  There arent many undercover carparks in the outback! But, if you want to keep your vehicle ready for impromptu trips, it means you cannot easily go to the shops, or maybe even your work car park? 
• You need to climb down a ladder to go to the toilet - In the middle of the night, sometimes it's hard enough to convince yourself to get out of bed to go to the bathroom especially if it's colder.  Let alone having to contend with a ladder whilst you're half asleep. 
• Sometimes you miss out on the better camp sites.  Having a roof top tent can mean you'll miss out on being able to camp at the absolute best camp sites.  This is because in some camp grounds there will be bollards etc to prevent your vehicle from accessing certain areas where you are permitted to camp.  
• Fuel Efficiency - items on your roof does damage your vehicles fuel efficiency.  This is usually OK when you're going camping, as often roof top tent or not - you will have things on your roof. The fuel efficiency becomes a problem for your daily work commute.
• Heavy -  roof top tents are usually a team lift item, being heavy and bulky in nature.  Removing them from your vehicle when not in use can be difficult, storing them is also difficult due to their size.